News

25 Oct 2023

Ask Billboard: Taylor Swift Has a Hot 100 No. 1 From ‘Lover’ at Last — and Another Chart Record

Submit questions about Billboard charts, as well as general music musings, to askbb@billboard.com. Please include your first and last name, as well as your city, state and country, if outside the United States.

Or, tweet @gthot20.

Let’s open the latest mailbag.

‘Anti’ Heroes

Hi Gary,

I love the article on Taylor Swift’s dominance with “Cruel Summer,” her 10th career Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 as of this week.

One record not mentioned in the piece: Now that Lover has a No. 1 to its name, Swift ties the record for the most albums of all-new material in a row – seven – with a Hot 100 leader.

Excitingly, she ties Rihanna, whose total includes her latest LP, Anti … so the record could conceivably be extended by either artist, should Rihanna decide to grace us with a full collection of music again.

Best,

Peter Bailinson

Hi Peter,

Thanks for the insights. Here in 2023, we’re discussing active streaks extended by albums released in 2019 — Swift’s Lover, featuring “Cruel Summer,” promoted as a single for the first time this year — and 2016, when Rihanna released Anti. As noted by Billboard’s Elias Leight, music can be especially evergreen as streaming and social media have put songs from earlier eras on a fairly even playing field with newer releases.

As you noted in an “Ask Billboard” mailbag in 2016 (making for more enduring content unveiled that year), Rihanna became the first artist to release seven consecutive studio albums of all-new music that have spun off at least one Hot 100 No. 1.

With Swift matching the mark, let’s look at each artist’s record run.

Rihanna’s Seven Consecutive Albums of All-New Material With at Least One Hot 100 No. 1:

  • A Girl Like Me: “SOS,” 2006
  • Good Girl Gone Bad: “Umbrella” (feat. Jay-Z), “Take a Bow,” “Disturbia,” 2007-08
  • Rated R: “Rude Boy,” 2009
  • Loud: “What’s My Name?” (feat. Drake), “Only Girl (In the World),” “S&M” (feat. Britney Spears), 2010
  • Talk That Talk: “We Found Love” (feat. Calvin Harris), 2011
  • Unapologetic: “Diamonds,” 2012
  • Anti: “Work” (feat. Drake), 2016

Taylor Swift’s Seven Consecutive Albums of All-New Material With at Least One Hot 100 No. 1:

  • Red: “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” 2012
  • 1989: “Shake It Off,” “Blank Space,” “Bad Blood” (feat. Kendrick Lamar), 2014-15
  • Reputation: “Look What You Made Me Do,” 2017
  • Lover: “Cruel Summer,” 2023 (originally released in 2019)
  • Folklore: “Cardigan,” 2020
  • Evermore: “Willow,” 2020
  • Midnights: “Anti-Hero,” 2022

Swift, meanwhile, has notched one other Hot 100 No. 1 (while Rihanna has three others, for a total of 14, in featured roles): “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” debuted on top in November 2021. The song is from the second of her three rerecorded albums released so far since 2021: Fearless (Taylor’s Version), Red (Taylor’s Version) and Speak Now (Taylor’s Version).

Swift, thus, has released eight albums overall that have generated at least one Hot 100 No. 1 (and Rihanna, seven), with the seven listed above joined by Red (Taylor’s Version), which includes “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version).”

Where does that haul place Swift historically?

Regardless of consecutive album releases, here’s a rundown of the acts with the most albums (regardless of how much new music was released on them) that have generated Hot 100 No. 1s.

Ahead of Swift? Only The Beatles, with 12 such sets (per their U.S. tracklists); Mariah Carey, with 10; and, apart from The Beatles, Paul McCartney/Wings, with nine (giving McCartney a hand in a whopping 21 albums below). Like Swift, Madonna and The Supremes each have eight albums with at least one Hot 100 No. 1.

The Beatles boast a record 20 Hot 100 leaders, followed by Carey with 19, while Madonna and The Supremes have each earned 12 and McCartney/Wings, nine.

Here’s a recap of each superstar act’s albums with Hot 100 No. 1s. (Songs on best-of albums are included only if released as singles from them.)

The Beatles’ 12 Albums With at Least One Hot 100 No. 1:

  • Meet the Beatles: “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” 1964
  • The Beatles’ Second Album: “She Loves You,” 1964
  • Hey Jude: “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “Paperback Writer,” “Hey Jude,” 1964-68
  • A Hard Day’s Night: “A Hard Day’s Night,” 1964
  • Beatles ’65: “I Feel Fine,” 1964-65
  • Beatles VI: “Eight Days a Week,” 1965
  • Help!: “Ticket to Ride,” “Help!,” “Yesterday,” 1965
  • Yesterday and Today: “We Can Work It Out,” 1966
  • Magical Mystery Tour: “Penny Lane,” “Hello Goodbye,” 1967
  • Yellow Submarine: “All You Need Is Love,” 1967
  • Let It Be: “Get Back,” “Let It Be,” “The Long and Winding Road,” 1969-70
  • Abbey Road: “Come Together,” 1969

Mariah Carey’s 10 Albums With at Least One Hot 100 No. 1:

  • Mariah Carey: “Vision of Love,” “Love Takes Time,” “Someday,” “I Don’t Wanna Cry,” 1990-91
  • Emotions: “Emotions,” 1991
  • MTV Unplugged EP: “I’ll Be There,” 1992
  • Music Box: “Dreamlover,” “Hero,” 1993-94
  • Merry Christmas: “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” 2019-23 (originally released in 1994)
  • Daydream: “Fantasy,” “One Sweet Day” (with Boyz II Men), “Always Be My Baby,” 1995-96
  • Butterfly: “Honey,” “My All,” 1997-98
  • Rainbow: “Heartbreaker” (feat. Jay-Z), “Thank God I Found You” (feat. Joe & 98 Degrees), 1999-2000
  • The Emancipation of Mimi: “We Belong Together,” “Don’t Forget About Us,” 2005-06
  • E=MC²: “Touch My Body,” 2008

Paul McCartney/Wings’ Nine Albums With at Least One Hot 100 No. 1:

  • Ram: “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey” (with Linda McCartney), 1971
  • Red Rose Speedway: “My Love,” 1973
  • Band on the Run: “Band on the Run,” 1974
  • Venus and Mars: “Listen to What the Man Said,” 1975
  • Wings at the Speed of Sound: “Silly Love Songs,” 1976
  • London Town: “With a Little Luck,” 1978
  • McCartney II: “Coming Up Live,” 1980 (the studio version was released on the album; live versions have appeared on multiple McCartney/Wings albums)
  • Tug of War: “Ebony and Ivory” (with Stevie Wonder), 1982
  • Pipes of Peace: “Say Say Say” (with Michael Jackson), 1984

Madonna’s Eight Albums With at Least One Hot 100 No. 1:

  • Like a Virgin: “Like a Virgin,” 1984-85
  • True Blue: “Live to Tell,” “Papa Don’t Preach,” “Open Your Heart,” 1986-87
  • Who’s That Girl: “Who’s That Girl,” 1987
  • Like a Prayer: “Like a Prayer,” 1989
  • I’m Breathless: Music From and Inspired by the Film Dick Tracy: “Vogue,” 1990
  • The Immaculate Collection: “Justify My Love,” 1991
  • Bedtime Stories: “Take a Bow,” 1995
  • Music: “Music,” 2000

The Supremes’ Eight Albums With at Least One Hot 100 No. 1:

  • Where Did Our Love Go: “Where Did Our Love Go,” “Baby Love,” “Come See About Me,” 1964
  • More Hits by The Supremes: “Stop! In the Name of Love,” “Back in My Arms Again,” 1965
  • I Hear a Symphony: “I Hear a Symphony,” 1965
  • The Supremes A’ Go-Go: “You Can’t Hurry Love,” 1966
  • The Supremes Sing Holland-Dozier-Holland: “You Keep Me Hangin’ On,” “Love Is Here and Now You’re Gone,” 1966-67
  • Greatest Hits: “The Happening,” 1967
  • Love Child: “Love Child” (Diana Ross & The Supremes), 1968
  • Cream of the Crop: “Someday We’ll Be Together” (Diana Ross & The Supremes), 1969

Taylor Swift’s Eight Albums With at Least One Hot 100 No. 1:

  • Red: “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” 2012
  • 1989: “Shake It Off,” “Blank Space,” “Bad Blood” (feat. Kendrick Lamar), 2014-15
  • Reputation: “Look What You Made Me Do,” 2017
  • Lover: “Cruel Summer,” 2023 (originally released in 2019)
  • Folklore: “Cardigan,” 2020
  • Evermore: “Willow,” 2020
  • Red (Taylor’s Version): “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version),” 2021
  • Midnights: “Anti-Hero,” 2022

Notably, those albums encompass a hefty total of 79 Hot 100 No. 1s, reflecting the six acts’ uncommon penchant for maintaining elite relevance over so many releases.

Meanwhile, The Beatles and Carey, like Swift with “Cruel Summer,” invoked a bit of time travel among their Hot 100 No. 1s. Certain Beatles leaders listed above appeared on albums following their releases as singles, while “All I Want for Christmas Is You” retroactively gave Carey’s album Merry Christmas a No. 1 song an unprecedented 25 years after its release.

Speaking of gifts that keep on giving, and from “Cruel Summer” to fall to “Christmas”: Carey’s seasonal classic sports a 7% gain in streams in the latest tracking week (Oct. 13-19), having tallied nearly 2 million official U.S. streams in that span, according to Luminate. The early flurry of activity follows the announcement of Carey’s Merry Christmas One and All Tour, which begins Nov. 15.

25 Oct 2023

Nicki Nicole Plays Fishing For Answers | Billboard

Nicki Nicole plays Fishing for Answers with Billboard backstage at Billboard’s Latin Music Week 2023.

Nicki Nicole:

Hello, everyone. I’m Nicki Nicole, and I’m here to answer questions with Billboard.

What’s your guilty pleasure food? I think it’s chicken supremes. They are quite popular in Argentina and honestly, when they’re fried, they aren’t that healthy, so that’s my guilty pleasure.

Let’s go to the next one! Let’s see… What was your most embarrassing moment on stage? I have quite a few, a collection of embarrassing moments on stage not because they happen, but because I look for them. But once I fell off a staircase, it was bad. I don’t think anyone saw me, but I believe they heard because the microphone was still on. I was fine, nothing happened but the front row people, I think they saw me, and when I came out, some looked concerned, others were laughing but it was all good. I was a little embarrassed.

What’s your secret talent? I’m not sure if it’s a talent, but I have some really good jokes. I love making people laugh and if I have to make someone laugh, I can do it.

What’s the best concert you have attended? Do I have to pick just one? I have two. Kendrick Lamar’s at Lollapalooza in Paris and Rosalía’s at the Movistar Arena in Argentina. For me, they’re at the top.

Someone who has impacted me? Yes. Once, behind the scenes at an awards show, I met Thalia. I hadn’t met her in person, and I was quite impressed, to be honest. She was very beautiful, and also she was walking, and I was like, “Wow.” I didn’t even know how to walk in heels at that time, imagine that so, I saw her and said, “Wait, what?!” She left a big impression on me.


Watch the full video above!

25 Oct 2023

MF DOOM Estate Sues Manager, Claiming He Stole Songwriting Notebooks

The widow of late hip-hop legend MF DOOM, Jasmine Dumile Thompson, filed a lawsuit, claiming that his manager, Eothen “Egon” Alapatt, stole 31 of the rapper’s notebooks that were used to write down many of his beloved songs. This included the tracks from Operation Doomsday (1999), Madvillainy (2004), and MM…FOOD (2004) as well as unreleased songs ideas, musings and “other creative ideations.”

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

The case, filed in California federal court Tuesday, is not the first time DOOM’s fans have heard about these notebooks. Back in March, Thompson posted emails between her late husband and Alapatt to the @MFDOOM instagram account with the caption “Egon, Give the Notebooks Back,” sending fans to rally around the rapper’s estate and its struggle to repossess his writing material. Alapatt, who first started working with DOOM as general manager and a&r of Stones Throw Records, has admitted to having the notebooks in the past, according to the complaint, but the estate says he refuses to return them.

Instead, Alapatt is allegedly demanding that the notebooks be “donated to a university or government archive” or a “museum or other institution of [Alapatt’s] choosing,” even though doing so is contrary to his estate’s wishes. “[The notebooks] were intended by DOOM to be secret and confidential,” the lawsuit reads.

It all started in 2010, when the metal-masked rapper travelled to the U.K. to perform but was prohibited from returning to the U.S. due to immigration issues. (He remained in the U.K. until his death on October 31, 2020 at the age of 49). During his absence, the 31 notebooks of lyrical material were left behind in his Los Angeles studio, according to the lawsuit, and Alapatt “took unlawful possession” of the books about six years later.

“Alapatt never consulted with DOOM about his acquisition of the notebooks and took advantage of DOOM’s being out the country to obtain them,” the lawsuit says, but when first confronted by DOOM about the whereabouts of his books, Alapatt allegedly lied at first, saying he didn’t have them. After the landlord of DOOM’s studio allegedly told DOOM that Alapatt did, in fact, have the notebooks, DOOM confronted the manager again.

Alapatt allegedly then told DOOM he got the notebooks because DOOM owed $12,500 in past-due rent, and if someone did not pay it off, the landlord was going to destroy the possessions he left behind. Because Alapatt claims to have paid that rent on DOOM’s behalf, he said that the physical notebooks themselves were legally his property, according the complaint. (Earlier this year, Thompson has come to suspect that DOOM owed no additional rent, and Alapatt simply paid $12,500 to the landlord to buy the books.)

In Summer 2020, Alapatt apparently offered to send DOOM and his family photocopies of the contents of the notebooks for the “sole purpose” of allowing DOOM access but would not give back the physical books themselves. DOOM refused this proposal. In October 2020, shortly before the rapper’s death, the estate says Alapatt sent DOOM a hard drive with large format scans of every notebook he lost, all of which were time stamped between 2018 and March 2020. The lawsuit claims that this proves Alapatt was infringing on his estate’s intellectual property, which is now held by his business entity, Gas Drawls, by creating and disseminating unlawful copies of DOOM’s lyrics.

It is unclear who Alapatt sent these scans to, if anyone, but the lawsuit claims Alapatt was talking to potential buyers, including hip-hop archivists, to sell the notebooks or its copies.

“Although Alapatt has professed that he ‘does not intend to publish’ the unauthorized digital copies he made, he does not have to ‘publish’ the copies of his infringing copies to be liable,” argues the complaint. “Regardless, [DOOM’s estate] alleges that Alapatt actually shared the copies of the notebook he made with others.”

Now, after DOOM’s death, Thompson is intent on getting the notebooks returned to the family, the photo copies destroyed, and “significant compensation” for the damage Alapatt has caused. Along with copyright infringement, the lawsuit alleges “fraud, conversion, unjust enrichment, constructive trust and declaratory relief” and requests a jury trial.

Thompson and Gas Drawls are represented by Miles M. Cooley of Freedman and Taitelman. Alapatt is represented by Kenneth Freundlich of Freundlich Law. Both parties did not immediately return requests for comment on the complaint.

25 Oct 2023

Dream Theater Reuniting With Founding Drummer Mike Portnoy for 16th Studio Album

Dream Theater are getting the band back together. The Grammy-winning prog rockers announced on Wednesday (Oct. 25) that founding drummer Mike Portnoy will be back in the fold when the group head back into the studio soon to work on their 16th studio album and first with Portnoy since 2009’s Black Clouds & Silver Linings.

“I understand Dream Theater’s decision to get Mike Portnoy back at this time,” said drummer Mike Mangini, who took over for Portnoy in 2010. “As was said from Day 1, my place was not to fill all the roles that Mike held in the band. I was to play the drums in order to help the band carry on. My main role of keeping our live show working tightly on a nightly basis was an intense and rewarding experience. Thankfully, I got to experience playing music with these iconic musicians, as well as some fun times laced with humor.”

Dream Theater was formed in Boston in 1985 by Portnoy, bassist John Myung and guitarist John Petrucci when the trio were enrolled at Berklee College of Music in Boston. Portnoy said he was “overwhelmed with joy to be returning home and reuniting with my brothers! There is so much shared history between us all… so many memories, so much music… to think we’re coming up on 40 years since this journey began! The idea of creating new music together is so exciting and I absolutely cannot wait to hit the road and get to play live for a whole new generation of fans that weren’t ever able to see this lineup before…There’s no place like home!!” 

Myung said it feels great to get back together with Portnoy more than four decades after the group’s formation. “I am excited to see what this next phase of Dream Theater creates for the future,” he said. “I wish nothing but the best for Mike Mangini for all the blood, sweat and tears he put into DT during his 13-year tenure with the band.”

In Portnoy’s absence the group released 2011’s A Dramatic Turn of Events, a self-titled 2013 album, 2016’s The Astonishing, 2019’s Distance Over Time and 2021’s A View From the Top of the World, for which they won a Grammy in 2022 for best metal performance for “Alien.” The band– which also features singer James LaBrie and keyboardist Jordan Rudess — recently wrapped the first Dreamsonic tour, a prog-rock package tour that also featured Devin Townsend and Animals As Leaders.

See the reunited band below.

25 Oct 2023

Bowers & Wilkins Rolls Out New Px8 Headphones Color Finish

HipHopWired Featured Video

Bowers & Wilkins Px8 Royal Burgundy Finish

Bowers & Wilkins, a leading audio company that produces top-of-the-line products, offers an array of award-winning speakers, headphones, and other devices. The brand’s Px8 over-the-ear headphones are among those lauded devices, and Bowers & Wilkins rolled out a new color finish that reminds us of a certain suit-wearing genius superhero.

Founded in 1966, Bowers & Wilkins has emerged as a leader in providing studio speakers, home speakers, car audio devices, and more. Engineers, musicians, and true audiophiles are the target audience for B&W products but they provide their premiere technology at a fair entry price.

Bowers & Wilkins Px8 Royal Burgundy Finish

The latest color from B&W for the Px8 is the Royal Burgundy finish. This version of the Px8, as we noted before, is a noise-canceling over-the-ear wireless headphones set that sport a Nappa leather finish along with gold trimmings. The Royal Burgundy joins the existing and still popular Black and Tan Nappa leather finishes.

The B&W team has refined the bells and whistles of its flagship headphones. If one is familiar with the vast world of headphone drivers, the Px8 came equipped with 40mm Carbon Cone drive units, the same drivers that power its innovative loudspeaker units. Paired with the Bowers & Wilkins-developed DSP (Digital Signal Processing), fans who use music streaming services can expect 24-bit high-resolution sound.

Bowers & Wilkins Px8 Royal Burgundy Finish

Other features of the Px8 included its standard single cast-aluminum arm structure, and the earcups, memory foam cushions, and headband also feature the Nappa leather trim. The Px8 also comes with a handy carrying case for easy transport and storage.

B&W updated its acoustic tuning that promises faster response and low distortion across a wide range of frequencies, building upon the build quality of the bar set by the Px7 S2 earbuds and the Px7 S2e over-the-ear headphones. What listeners can expect is the best representation of sound from the music you enjoy, especially if you use a streaming service that offers high-fidelity options.

Bowers & Wilkins Px8 Royal Burgundy Finish

The Bowers & Wilkins Px8 model is priced at $699 in the Black, Tan, and new Royal burgundy finish.

Learn more here.

—

Photo: B&W

25 Oct 2023

Shazam Adds New ‘Concerts’ Section to Recommend Shows to Users

Apple-owned Shazam has introduced a new feature into its music identification app that will allow users to find nearby shows through recommendations based on their Shazam histories, it was announced on Wednesday (Oct. 25).

The new feature, called simply Concerts, is already available to users in the Shazam app on iOS within the “My Music” section and will be coming to Android shortly. The new section will recommend events, allow users to save and set reminders about upcoming shows and view available tickets, with options to buy them through BandsInTown or other ticket providers. It also offer exclusives from certain artists that will be available for users to unlock, such as behind the scenes videos, Apple Watch faces, tour photos and setlists, among other things.

The feature has also been incorporated into Spotlight, where iPhone users can now search for an artist and get concert and ticketing information immediately in iOS 17. Along with additions to Apple Maps and the Set Lists feature within Apple Music, this marks the latest Apple feature to incorporate live music data and information into its functionality. 

The Concerts feature follows on a previous collaboration with BandsInTown that was initially announced in March 2022. Through that partnership, Shazam users could search for an artist and pull up their forthcoming tour information using the BandsInTown database of shows for over 500,000 artists. This new feature is distinct from that, in that it boasts its own section within Shazam dedicated to concerts and show recommendations, rather than solely within the search result for an artist.

25 Oct 2023

Lainey Wilson, Luke Bryan, Jelly Roll, Megan Moroney Among Initial Round of CMA Awards Performers

The two most-nominated artists at this year’s CMA Awards are also among this year’s initial round of performers.

Lainey Wilson, this year’s leading contender with nine nominations, and Jelly Roll, with five nominations, will both perform during the 57th annual CMA Awards, which airs live on Nov. 8 on ABC from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.

The star-studded lineup will also feature one of this year’s co-hosts, two-time CMA entertainer of the year winner Luke Bryan, as well as performances from Megan Moroney, Little Big Town, K. Michelle, Old Dominion, Carly Pearce, Chris Stapleton and newly-inducted Country Music Hall of Fame member Tanya Tucker.

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Though Jelly Roll is a first-time CMA Awards performer, he will have two performance slots during CMA Awards night, opening the show with his Billboard No. 1 Country Airplay hit “Need a Favor.” Later in the telecast, he will join forces with R&B performer K. Michelle to perform a tribute to The Judds, offering up the duo’s signature hit “Love Can Build a Bridge.” Jelly Roll, K. Michelle and The Fisk Jubilee Singers recorded a version of “Love Can Build a Bridge” as part of the upcoming The Judds tribute album (A Tribute to the Judds) is out on Oct. 27.

Wilson — who earned her first nomination in the coveted entertainer of the year category this year — will perform “Wildflowers and Wild Horses.”

Meanwhile, Bryan will celebrate his more than two dozen No. 1 Country Airplay chart-toppers, offering a medley of hits including “Play It Again” and “Country Girl (Shake It For Me).”

Three-time nominee Chris Stapleton will also pull double-duty as a performer this year, offering his new single, “White Horse,” and teaming with Carly Pearce (up for female vocalist and musical event of the year) to perform their duet “We Don’t Fight Anymore.”

Little Big Town will join Tucker for a performance of her debut 1972 hit “Delta Dawn.” Meanwhile, Old Dominion (who are up for vocal group and music video of the year) and Megan Moroney (up for new artist and song of the year) will perform their collaboration “Can’t Break Up Now,” featured on Old Dominion’s recent Memory Lane project.

The CMA Awards will be co-hosted by Bryan and NFL legend Peyton Manning. Additional performers and presenters will be revealed in the coming weeks.

25 Oct 2023

Try Not to Lose It, But Eminem Now Serving Up ‘Mom’s Spaghetti’ Sauce in a Jar

Eminem is dropping a hot new joint on Thursday (Oct. 26). It is not, however, the one his fans were looking for. The MC revealed on Tuesday that he’s taking the “Lose Yourself” brand extension beyond the Mom’s Spaghetti restaurants he’s opened in his hometown of Detroit and New York.

“From the D 2 ur kitchen [spaghetti emoji] #momsspaghetti sauce is droppin 10/26,” he tweeted alongside a video cued to “Drop the Bomb On ‘Em” from his 2009 Relapse:Refill album. The clip featured jars of the spaghetti sauce falling through the sky and smashing on a traditional red-and-white checkered tablecloth accompanied by the message, “The sauce is dropping.”

Fans love anything Shady does, but the comments on the tweet said it all, with one writing, “DROP THE ALBUMMMMMMM,” with another seconding that emotion, “You drop album, I guy the sauce, deal” and a third lamenting, “This is not what we meant when we said drop the album.”

Mom’s Spaghetti is, of course, an homage to the iconic first verse of Em’s Oscar-winning 2002 song “Lose Yourself” from his film debut, 8 Mile, in which he raps, “His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy/ There’s vomit on his sweater already, mom’s spaghetti.”

After opening the first Mom’s in D-Town in Sept. 2021, Em brought the chain to L.A. for a Super Bowl pop-up in Feb. 2022, then set down roots in New York in November of that year. The sauce news was sweet (or spicy, we don’t know the recipe yet), but what commenters really seemed to want was news on the follow up to 2020’s Music To Be Murdered By, which featured collabs with Ed Sheeran, Juice WRLD, Don Toliver, Q-Tip, Anderson .Paak, Young M.A. and many more.

Em’s sauce

Check out the Mom’s Spaghetti sauce ad below.

25 Oct 2023

CMT Bows New Franchise, ‘Smashing Glass: A Celebration of the Groundbreaking Women of Music’

CMT will salute pioneering women artists with CMT Smashing Glass: A Celebration of the Groundbreaking Women of Music, a new franchise that premieres Nov. 15. 

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

R&B legend Patti LaBelle and country icon Tanya Tucker are the first two recipients. They will be honored for breaking down barriers by artists they’ve inspired before each recipient will perform. The acts participating in the salutes will be announced shortly.

“We’re beyond excited to bring this electrifying and empowering new franchise to life by honoring iconic women who’ve fearlessly smashed glass ceilings and kicked in doors, holding them wide open for past, present and future generations,” said Margaret Comeaux, CMT’s senior vp  of production, music & events and executive producer, in a statement. “Both Patti and Tanya deserve to be celebrated for continuing to set the industry gold standard with boundary-breaking crossover success, bold, uncompromising lives and careers, and creating timeless music and impact that remains as powerful and relevant as ever.” 

cmt smashing glass

Courtesy Photo

LaBelle, who began her career in the early 1960s, is best known for such hits as “Lady Marmalade” (with her group LaBelle), and as a solo artist with “You are My Friend,” “New Attitude” and “Stir It Up.” The multiple Grammy winner has also made her mark as an actress in such film and TV projects as A Soldier’s Story, A Different World and Out All Night.

Tucker, who was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame earlier this month, was still a teenager when she began topping the charts in the ‘70s with songs like “Delta Dawn” and ”Would You Lay With Me.” She experienced a career resurgence when her 2019 album, While I’m Livin’ won the Grammy for best country album.

Additionally, CMT Smashing Glass will posthumously pay tribute to a trio of women artists with “Moments of Respect” performances that will salute Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner and Sinead O’Connor: “Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, who forever altered the path for women with her legacy of demanding ‘R.E.S.P.E.C.T,’ the ‘Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Tina Turner, who empowered the world with her resilience, and Sinead O’Connor, who broke the traditional ‘pop star’ mold and used her life and music to illuminate the world’s burning issues,” added Patizia DiMaria, executive producer.

In addition to Comeaux and 21st Floor Productions’ DiMaria, the rest of the all-female production team includes director Lauren Quinn, who also serves as an executive producer with DiMaria and Michelle Mahoney. Jackie Barba and Heather D. Graffagnino are executives in charge of production, Leslie Fram is executive in charge of talent and Suzanne Bender is talent producer. 

“CMT Smashing Glass is a grand finale to a landmark 2023 which we dedicated as our ‘Year of the Woman,’” said Fram, who is CMT’s senior vp of music and talent. “Kicking off in January with a milestone 10th anniversary of the Next Women of Country  (NWOC) franchise, we celebrated female voices across all programming and events—from our women-led headliners at CMT Music Awards and ‘Equal Play’ honoree Shania Twain, to bi-monthly NWOC artist showcases and the greenlight of our CMT Defining series, we remain dedicated to ‘Equal Play’ and advocating for the trailblazers of the past, superstars of the present and the future voices in our format.”

25 Oct 2023

Nicki Minaj Pushes Back ‘Pink Friday 2’: ‘It Will Come Out on My Birthday’

Nicki Minaj shared some good news/bad news with Barbz on Tuesday (Oct. 24). The good news is that her anticipated Pink Friday 2 album has a new release date that is super special to the rapper and her fans. The bad news is that instead of next month it’s now Dec. 8.

Minaj originally scheduled the album for Oct. 20, then re-scheduled it for Nov. 17, but in a message to fans she explained why she’s re-shuffled the deck again. “I have never in my life been so in love with something that I’m working on,” she said of the album that has been five years in the making, but which she explained had been delayed because she had writer’s block during her pregnancy and didn’t want to say “freaky” stuff.

“So this entire album will be the biggest gift I have ever given humanity thus far,” she promised of the LP that will make people “fall in love immediately.” First off, she said, the date change was because her longtime consigliere, Lil Wayne, is releasing a joint album with his pal 2 Chainz, Welcome 2 Collegrove, on Nov. 17, and just like he would never drop on the same day as Nicki, she is doing the same. “The new album date for this incredible body of work that I am so proud of is on a very special day to me and to the Barbz,” she said in a lengthy Instagram live video.

“It will come out on my birthday,” she added. “Pink Friday 2 I am so happy to announce will be out on my birthday, Dec 8th.” She had two other announcements as well, revealing that she has a new fragrance (also called Pink Friday 2) coming out on Dec. 13 and Dec. 26 through Amazon and J.C. Penny, respectively.

In September, while hosting the 2023 MTV VMAs, Nick previewed a new, untitled song from PF2 after previously teasing the sci-fi cover of the album.

The last time Minaj pushed the album she didn’t explain the reason, though at the time she promised on X (formerly known as Twitter) that the delay was because of “some really exciting news that I’ll share with you guys @ a later time.”

Pink Friday 2 is the follow-up to Minaj’s 2018 sophomore album, Queen.

See Minaj’s announcement below.